Bill Maher Says He Will Likely Quit Standup After His Next Special

Invoice Maher could also be performed with standup comedy. The comic stated this week he believes his upcoming HBO particular will likely be his final.

Maher revealed the information throughout a dialog with fellow comedian Jerry Seinfeld on his Membership Random podcast. Maher instructed his buddy he felt “nervous” to inform him, “however after this yr, I’m going to cease doing [standup],” he stated.

Seinfeld appeared shocked by the information, to which Maher, stated, “I don’t wish to make a giant announcement or one thing,” however famous that his upcoming particular for HBO — scheduled for later this yr — will likely be his thirteenth.

“That’s quite a bit,” Seinfeld stated.

Maher agreed, and added, “I put a number of effort and time into it. As you already know, standup is like enjoying the cello. You possibly can’t simply stroll up there. You need to keep in follow. And I do, I’ve at all times cherished it. I’m at all times engaged on it. However I’ve a present.”

Maher has hosted Actual Time With Invoice Maher, his weekly speak present, since 2003, and hosted the equally programmed Politically Incorrect for nearly a decade earlier than that. He began the Membership Random podcast in 2022.

At point out of Actual Time, Seinfeld instructed Maher, “I don’t know the way you stored [standup performances] up throughout the present, or frankly, why.”

Maher responded: “As a result of they fed one another, it was so nice, and in addition as a result of I adore it. I may be the loosest — the present’s nice, however there’s constrictors there, [Club Random] is looser, however you what’s looser than simply, you individuals paying to see me. Even for those who don’t prefer it, you sort of should snigger.”

What is going to he do with all the brand new spare time? “If I don’t should follow the cello eight hours a day, I would wish to do a few of these sorts of issues [Club Random] stay,” Maher stated. “That’s sort of an attention-grabbing possibility that individuals do these days. It’s sort of an occasion.”

No matter his future plans could also be, Maher left his departure from standup open-ended: “After 40 years, that’s why I don’t wish to make an announcement like, ‘That is my closing — ” he stated. “I would change my thoughts. It is likely to be like chopping off a limb, and I’ve to return to it.”